Sagadahoc seeks 24/7 managed cybersecurity and tower revenues as IT spending jumps

Sagadahoc County’s proposed IT and communications budget for FY27 includes significant new cybersecurity spending and reserved capital to replace aging servers.

Administrator/Finance Director Jill Flaherty presented Director Devin Field’s requests (Field was absent) and introduced TJ Caldwell of S.J. Rollins Technologies, who described a managed security service intended to provide 24/7 monitoring, log aggregation and faster incident detection. Caldwell called server lifecycle planning and continuous monitoring a “vital investment” given current vulnerabilities.

BAC member Roo Dunn warned the committee that the county’s internal network lacks centralized monitoring and called it a “Swiss cheese network,” urging immediate steps for managed switches and holistic logging. Dunn and others pressed for a session with IT Director Field present before approving large procurements.

Communications towers: Communications Director Mike Carter said three county-owned towers (West Bath, Georgetown and Phippsburg) are under construction but awaiting CMP power; the draft budget includes approximately six months of tower-lease costs that will be reduced once county towers are online. Flaherty estimated half-year tower leasing revenue at about $6,000 for FY27. Carter confirmed FCC licenses are approved and said bi-weekly construction check-ins are ongoing.

DA and CJIS constraints: District Attorney staff and the Sheriff’s Office noted the DA’s office has separate Maine Judicial Information System (JIS) requirements and must maintain secure systems; some prosecutor software and e-filing changes will be needed and remain county-funded.

Next steps: BAC members requested a dedicated follow-up meeting with Director Field and S.J. Rollins to review topology, procurement options and a clear phased replacement plan for aging equipment before committing to recurring managed-service costs.